AI + ML trends 2018½

hi all, ~250 links for 2nd half of 2018 AI + ML trends. very broad! AI/ML is now understood to be penetrating many fields/ areas. there are major (new) international govt initiatives, a new one announced in France by Macron.[c23]

this year looks a little more incremental than last year when Deepmind announced the Go game advancement. close to my own interests there is a lot of continued research into more advanced games such as starcraft and dota.[a4] there is bigger alignment with robotics.[a5] there are regular/ frequent announcements of major shifts/ innovations in methods of increasing sophistication/ scope.[a6]

closely tied into ethics analysis (covered heavily last blog) there is more serious/ heightened prognostication/ consternation of the future implications.[b] the tools/ chips hardware are advancing noticeably.[d][d2] there is top competition for/ jockeying among leaders in the field.[f] the sophia robot made a lot of headlines earlier in the year “for better or worse”.[i]

as noted in prior blog it looks to me like AI/ ML is in a sensitive/ vulnerable/ difficult/ at times awkward transition period of inching closer to AGI capabilities.